Engine speed governor



Oct. 24, 1950 R. H. CHRISTIAN 2,527,354

ENGINE SPEED GOVERNOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 26, 1947 DRIVEN BY ENGINE QVEHICLE *1 a I is. I15) l' Z2 17 6 $6 FIG.4 6? 5 625 6.9 64- 67 6763 66 6'5 62 77 76 J 3 M \s L t z e0 70 2 5 MQ X IN VENTOR' YH CHRIST/AN Oct. 24, 1950 R. H. CHRISTIAN 2,527,354

ENGINE SPEED GOVERNOR Filed March 26, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 5

INVENTOR Y H. (:HRlST/AN ATTNEY Patented Oct. 24, 1950 UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFICE ENGINE seer-1n GOVERNOR- Bay mom-hum. Wauwatosa, Wia, assignor to 7 Milwaukee Lock & Mfg. 00.,Milwaukee, Win.

. aoorporation of Wisconsin Application March 26. 1941, Serial No. 787,380

9 claim. (or. 123-103) The present invention relates to governors for regulating or limiting the speed of internal combustion engines.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved fluid-pressure-operable engine governor which shall afford good speed regulation under different load conditions, and which is particularly suitable for vehicle engines. although not limited to such use.

Another object is toprovide an engine governor which is controlled conjointly by intake manifold pressure and by a fluid pressure developed in accordance with engine speed.

Still another object is to provide a governor in which both fluid pressures act on the same diaphragm or similar actuator for controlling a governor valve.

A further object is to provide a simple and durable engine governor which is reliable in operation and which will deter tampering.

A still further object is to provide a governor having a spring unit which is capable of easy assembly and replacement and which will facilitate speed adjustment.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating certain embodiments of the invention,

Fig. l is a side elevational view of an engine line 22 of Fig. 1, the governor valve being shown in its fully open position;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a hydraulic pressure generator, taken generally on the. line Of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail longitudinal sectiona view of a compound spring unit; Fig. 5 is a sectional elevational view taken.

tit

lever arm I! from a foot accelerator or similar actuating means. not shown, which normally controls the flow of the fuel charge into the in-- take manifold.

A fluid pressure generator or pump, designated generally by the numeral i6, is suitably driven by the engine and develops a pressure which varies with engine speed, as hereinafter described. in some instances. the pressure generator may be driven by the vehicle. The pump comprises a reservoir-forming casing H to one end of which is secured a hubbed cover or end bell 88 having a substantially horizontal axis. A suitably sealed impellershaft I9 is journalled in the cover in ball bearings 20 and carries a pulley ti by which it may be driven, as by the engine fan belt or generator belt, not shown. In some instances. a gear drive, not shown, may be provided. The inner end of the shaft carries an impeller it, such as a two-lobed type, which rotates in either direction in an impeller chamber 23 formed between the cover and a flat end wall 26 of the casing it, this wall having a central opening it to admit oil or other suitable liquid from the easing into the impeller chamber. The casing is provided at its top with a radial outlet 26 from the impeller chamber, and is also provided at the top of the reservoir portion with a suitable breather 21?. The outlet it is connected by a tube or conduit 28 to a diaphragm housing indicated generally by 29.

1 is a direct function of engine speed.

linterposed between the outlet of the carbureter it and the intake manifold riser II is a throttle body or casing 30 secured in place by bolts ti and having a vertical through passage error :the fuel charge.

generally on the line 55 .of Fig. 2. the governor j valve being shown in partially closed position" assumed when the engine is running under'light' load at governed speed, and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2. but showing a modified form of governor.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 5, III designates the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine of conventional throttling type. The manifold has a riser it connected to a downdraft carbureter 62, the latter having the usual throttle valve it mounted on a shaft H. In the case of a vehicle engine, the shaft is controlled through a A throttle shaft 33 extends-transversely of the casing 30 and is journalled therein, as by needle bearings 34, the projecting; end of the shaft having a gear or pinion 35. A throttle disk 36 is secured to the shaft 33, as by screws 31, and forms therewith a butterfly valve which is disposed below the conven- The governor valve is of the balanced type. that is, it extends equally on opposite sides of the shaft The casing 30 is provided at one side with an elongated tubular portion '38 extending horizontally at right angles to the governor valve shaft 33 and having an opening 39 to permit insertion of this shaft, the opening being closed by a plug or cover plate 40. An axial bore 4| formed in the tubular casing portion 38 intersects the opening 39 and provides a slidable fit for an operating rod 42 extending therethrough and into the diaphragm housing 26 which is disposed at an end of the casing portion 36. A guide bushing 43 for the rod is fixedly secured in the. same end of the tubular portion, as by a press fit and a locking pin 44. The operating rod 42 is provided with an annularly grooved portion forming rack teeth 45 meshing with the governor shaft pinion 35 for rotating this shaft when the rod is axially shifted. The diaphragm housing 29 is formed by opposed dished members 46 and 41, such as of sheet metal, the former being rigidly secured to the end of the tubular casin portion 36 and the latter having a central fitting 46 to which the conduit 26 is connected. A laminated flexible diaphragm 49 is clamped at its periphery between the dished members 46 and 41, as by bolts 50, and the movable central portion of the diaphragm is clamped between washers 6|. and 52secured together, as by a central screw 59, the end of the operating rod 42 being adapted to abut against the adjacent washer The diaphragm 49 forms a, partition between two chambers 54 and 55, Fig. 2, the chamber 54 being in communication with the pressure generator l6 and filled with the hydraulic fluid, and the housing member 41 being provided with a closure screw 56, Fig. l, to facilitate complete filling of this chamber. The chamber 55 is a vacuum chamber and is in communication with the intake manifold, as hereinafter described, for urging the operating rod 42 in valve-closing direction, as does the hydraulic pressure in the chamber 54.

The axial displacement of the operating rod 42 under fluid pressure is yieldably resisted by a spring unit 51, Figs. 2 and 4, which is disposed in a longitudinal bore 56 formed in the end of the tubular portion 38 of the casing 30 remote from the diaphragm housing. The spring unit includes a cylindrical barrel 59 removably fitting in the bore 56 and abutting at its inner end against an annular stop shoulder 66 formed in the casing portion 36. The barrel 59 has inturned abutment flanges 6| and 62 at opposite ends and has a pair of bores 63 and 64, the latter being larger than the former, presenting at their junction an annular stop shoulder 65 which is near the inner end of the barrel. A light coiled compression spring 66 is housed in the bore 63 and a heavy coiled compression spring 61 is housed in the bore 64. The adjacent end of the operating rod 42 bears on one face of a marginally flanged disk 66 which slidably fits in the barrel bore 63 and forms at its other face a seat for the inner end of the light spring 66, the inturned barrel end flange 6| forming a stop for the disk. The outer end of the light spring 66 bears against a marginally flanged spring seat member 69 which is movable in the large bore 64 ofthe barrel and is adapted to abut against the annular stop shoulder 65, the seat member 66 having a cylindrical extension 16 adapted to be engaged by the disk 68, as seen in Fig. 2. The heavy spring 61 abuts at its inner end on the outer side of the spring seat member 69 and at its outer end against a marginally flanged seat disk 1i which is conflned by the inturned barrel flange 62 to maintain a predetermined minimum compression of the spring. The barrel flange 62 is suitably formed, as by spinning inwardly the end of the barrel after the springs and seat members are inserted. The spring unit is retained in position by a screw plug 12 engaged in a screw thread 13 formed in the outer end of the bore 56, the plug having a reduced cylindrical inner extension 14 which bears against the outer face of the spring seat disk II. The screw plug has a tool-receiving cross slot 15 which is also adapted to receive a suitable seal 16, Fig. l, passing through radial openings 11 formed in the casing portion 38. The screw plug may be used to increase the compression of the heavy spring beyond its preset compression.

The governor valve shaft 33 has an axial bore 18, Figs. 2 and 5, communicating at its inner end with a small diameter diagonal bore 19 opening at the periphery of the valve shaft in the fuel passage 32 of the governor casing. The operating rod 42 has a sufflciently loose fit in the bore H to provide an air passage, and if desired the rod may have a flat 80 to enlarge the passage. By these various passages the diaphragm chamber is placed under a vacuum or low pressure which varies with the intake manifold pressure. The shaft opening 19 is so located that a vacuum in the chamber 55 is prevented or limited until the engine becomes self -operating, as hereinafter described. In addition to the shaft passage 18, 19 the governor casing is in some instances provided with one or more additional small diameter air passages 6|, Fig. 5. leading from the opening 39 to the fuel passage 32 and controlled by respective needle valves 82 to adjust the effective size of the small passages, the needle valves preferably being inaccessible after the governor casing is installed, so as to prevent tampering.

When the engine is at rest, the governor valve 36 is in the position shown in Fig. 1 where it is held by the then expanded coiled spring 66, the governor valve closing the fuel passageway 32. Preferably, the extent of valve closure is such as to permit the engine to run at idling speed. In this position of the governor valve, the operating rod 42 has been shifted to the left of the position shown in Fig. 2 to a point where the spring disk 68 engages the stop flange 6|, as seen in Fig. 4. The opening 19 in the valve shaft 33 is then at the upper side of the shaft and away from the 50 fintake manifold.

As the engine is started and comes up to speed, the pressure in the impeller chamber 23 is transmitted through the conduit 26 to the diaphragm chamber 54, urging the diaphragm to the right, as viewed in Fig. 2, and moving the abutting operating rod 42 to the right against the pressure of the light spring 66. The liquid pressure developed at idling speed will move the valve into its fully open position, in this case an approximately vertical position. In this position of the operating rod the spring seat disk 66 abuts against the extension 10 of the seat member 69 for the heavy spring 61. The engine speed may be increased somewhat beyond idling speed without causing further movement of the governor valve because of the resistance of the compressed coiled spring 61. As the engine speed is further increased, the operating rod 52 moves further to the right, as viewed in Fig. 2, by the increasing liquid pressure on the diaphragm, compressing the spring 61 and turning the governor valve 36 through a further angle toward the position shown in Fig. 5 The effective pressure on the diaphragm is then increased by the application of intake manifold suction on the diaphragm.

asa'nsss With the two-stage spring reaction against movement of the diaphragm, the governor valve can be easily and quickly moved to its full open position upon initial acceleration of the engine, but the valve will move from its full open position to a restricting position only under considerable pressure in excess of that required initially to move it.

As the speed of the engine tends to increase beyond a point determined by the pressure of the spring 61, the liquid pressure on the diaphragm will increase, thus immediately moving the governor valve to restricting position and limiting the speed. If the engine load is suddenly reduced at the governed speed, the engine will tend to speed up but the governor valve will be quickly moved to its proper speed-limiting position by the control exerted on the diaphragm incident to a corresponding increase in intake manifold suction, thus preventing or minimizing increase of speed. A sudden increase in engine load will tend to reduce the engine speed, but the reduction in intake manifold suction will cause a quick movement of the diaphragm in valve-opening direction, thus preventing or minimizing a drop in engine speed. Hunting or surging of th governor by changes in manifold pressure is effectively prevented by the damping effect of the liquid in the diaphragm chamber 54.

The speed setting of the governor may be increased by screwing in the plug 12, or by removing the spring unit 51 and substituting another spring unit with a different preset spring compression.

The governor is reliable in operation and is of such character as to discourage tampering by operators. If the pump drive should be placed out of action, or if the fluid conduit 28 should be disconnected, then the engine can be started but will not run faster than idling speed or some slightly higher speed, as the governor valve will remain in nearly closed position.

In the modified form of governor shown in Mg. 6, the compressed spring unit of Fig. 2 is replaced by a single compressed coiled spring fill which is interposed between a spring seat member W and a screw plug 712'. The seat member 69' is secured to the end oi the operating rod 42, as by a screw tit, a spacer t t being provided in some instances. The spacer M (or the seat member t9 when the spacer is omitted) is adapted to abut against the casing shoulder M to limit the spring-urged travel of the operating rod to a position in which the valve 36 is fully open. As in the governor of Fig. 2, the valve is moved to speed-restricting position by hydraulic pressure, modified by intake manifold pressure when very close speed regulation is desired. The construction and operation of the governor of Fi 6 is otherwise similar to that of Fig. 2.

While the governor of the invention is particularly suitable for vehicle engines it can also be pplied to engines for stationary service.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by letters Patent is:

l. A governor for an internal combustion engine having an intake, comprising a governor throttle valve movable to open and closed position and being in closed position when the engine is at rest, means responsive to engine speed for actuating said valve first to open position upon attainment of a relatively low engine speed and for actuating said valve toward closed position upon further increase of engine speed, resilient means for opposing the movement of said valve by said speed responsive means and for restoring said valve to closed position when the engine comes to rest, and means responsive to intake pressure for modifying the movement of said valve.

2. A governor for an internal combustion engine having an intake, comprising a governor throttle valve movable to open and closed position and being in closed position when the engine is at rest, means responsive to engine speed for actuating said valve first to open position upon attainment of a relatively low engine speed and for actuating said valve toward closed position upon further increase of engine speed. resilient means for opposing the movement of said valve by said speed responsive means and for restoring said valve to closed position when the engine comes to rest, means responsive to intake pressure for modifying the movement of said valve, and means for preventing actuation of said valve by intake pressure until said valve has been initially opened by said first-named speed-responsive actuating means.

3. A governor for an internal combustion engine having an intake, comprising means responsive to engine speed for developing a fluid pressure increasing with engine speed, a governor valve for the engine movable to open and closed position, fluid pressure actuated means for moving said valve from closed position to open position upon attainment of a predetermined fluid pressure and for moving said valve from open position toward a closed position upon a further increase of fluid pressure. and means responsive to intake manifold pressure for moditying the governing movement of the valve.

4. A governor for an internal combustion engine having an intake, comprising a. governor valve for the engine, nuid pressure means responsive to engine speed for moving the valve to- Ward closed position on an increase of engine speed, and means controlled by intake pressure for modifying the movement oi said valve.

5. A governor for an internal combustion engine having an intake, comprising a governor valve for the engine, fluid pressure means responsive to engine speed for moving the valve toward closed position on an increase of engine speed, said means including a diaphragm against which the fluid pressure is exerted, and means for subjecting the other side of said diaphragm to intake pressure for modifying the movement of said valve.

6. A governor for an internal combustion engine having an intake, comprising a governor valve for the engine, liquid pressure means responsive to engine speed for moving the valve toward closed position on an increase of engine speed, said means including a diaphragm against which the liquid pressure is exerted, and means for subjecting the other side of said diaphragm to intake pressure for modifying the movement of said valve, the mass of liquid at said diaphragm damping the movement of said diaphragm caused by variations in intake pressure.

7. A governor for an internal combustion engine having an intake, comprising a governor valve for the engine, fluid pressure means responsive to engine speed for moving the valve toward closed position on an increase of engine speed, said means including a pressure chamber and a movable element one side of which forms a wall of said chamber, and means for subjecting the other side of said movable and an actuator for said valve responsive to the pressures in both of said chambers.

9. A governor for an internal combustion engine having an intake, comprising a governor valve for the engine, fluid pressure means for actuating said valve toward closed position and adapted to respond coniointhr to engine speed and to intake pressure, said means including a 8 reciprocatory operating rod, spring means for urging said rod in valve opening'direction, and stop means for limiting the spring-urged movement 0! said rod to a position in which said valve is substantially in full open position.

RAY H. CHRISTIAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 10 file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,100,805 Huflord Nov. 30, 1937 16 2,269,496 Vanderpoel Jan. 13, 1942 

